Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are super soft, thick, and loaded with oats and raisins. These cookies are easy to make and so delicious!
Is there anything better than a soft, thick, and chewy cookie? I’ve always been a huge fan of oatmeal cookies because there’s so many different things you can mix into them and they’re always delicious.
I originally published this oatmeal raisin cookie recipe back in 2017 and they’ve been a huge reader favorite! I decided it was finally time to update this recipe with more instructions and pictures so you can see just how easy they are to make.
If you love raisins, I guarantee this is the best oatmeal raisin cookie recipe you will ever try. And don’t worry, if you don’t like raisins you can easily leave them out or replace them with something else!
Recipe Ingredients
These easy oatmeal raisin cookies use simple ingredients that you may already have on hand! Let’s discuss each ingredient and why it’s crucial to this recipe:
- All-Purpose Flour: This provides the structure for your cookies so that they maintain their shape and hold up once they’re baked. When it comes to measuring your flour, make sure to spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Too much flour can lead to cookies that won’t spread in the oven.
- Ground Cinnamon: I use ground cinnamon in all of my oatmeal cookies. Feel free to increase the amount if you love cinnamon!
- Baking Soda & Salt: The baking soda lifts the cookies and the salt enhances all of the flavors.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Rolled oats are best in oatmeal cookies because they provide a chewier texture.
- Butter: As always, I used unsalted butter in these cookies. If you only have salted butter on hand, just reduce the salt to a tiny pinch. Your butter should also be softened to a cool room temperature.
- Sugar: I use a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar in all of my oatmeal cookies. The brown sugar adds moisture and flavor to the cookies and also makes them chewier. The granulated sugar helps the cookies spread as they bake in the oven.
- Egg: The egg helps bind everything together. I suggest using a room temperature egg for best results.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: For a little extra flavor.
- Raisins: There’s one cup of raisins in these cookies so that you get some in every single bite. If you’re not a fan of raisins, you can omit them or replace them with something else.
How To Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
To make the cookie dough, you’ll start by whisking together the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Then, stir in your rolled oats and set the mixture aside.
Next, mix up the wet ingredients. To start, beat your softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until they’re well combined. The amount of time will depend on whether you’re using a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, but it should take about 1 to 2 minutes.
Next, beat in your egg and vanilla extract. I suggest stopping to scrape down the sides of your bowl and then mixing one more time. At this point, your mixture should look like the picture above on the left.
Once the wet ingredients are well combined, add the dry ingredients and mix them in until just combined. Then, toss in your raisins and mix them in on low-speed or gently fold them in with a rubber spatula until they’re fully incorporated. The finished cookie dough will look like the picture above on the right.
I also suggest covering the cookie dough with some plastic wrap and chilling it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This extra step will allow the oats time to absorb some of the moisture so the cookies don’t spread too much when they bake.
Once the dough has chilled, line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and scoop 1.5 tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough onto the baking sheets. Then, gently press down each ball of cookie dough just slightly.
These oatmeal raisin cookies will take about 10 to 12 minutes in the oven. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are lightly browned and the tops of your cookies are set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use quick oats?
I recommend using old-fashioned rolled oats because they will make the cookies chewier. However, you can replace them with the same amount of quick oats.
Why are my cookies not spreading in the oven?
There are a couple of things that could prevent your cookies from not spreading in the oven. First, it’s crucial to measure your flour correctly with the spoon and level method. Too much flour can lead to cookies that don’t spread.
It’s also important to slightly flatten each ball of cookie dough before baking them in the oven. This will help them spread some as they are baking!
Can I freeze this cookie dough?
Yes, this cookie dough freezes really well! I recommend lining a baking sheet with parchment paper, scooping the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, and slightly flattening each ball of cookie dough. Freeze for 1 to 2 hours, then transfer the frozen cookie dough to a large freezer bag. You can bake the cookie dough from frozen, just add an additional 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
Baking Tips
- You may prepare the cookie dough, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. If the cookie dough is too hard to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes and that should make it easier.
- If you want to make more cookies, you can easily double this recipe to make about 4 dozen.
- Want to soak your raisins? I personally skip this step, but if you want the raisins to be more plump in the cookies, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes. Once they’re ready, drain them and blot them really well with a paper towel before mixing them into the cookie dough.
- If you want your cookies to spread a bit more, you can press them down more like in the video below!
More Classic Cookie Recipes To Try!
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Classic No-Bake Cookies
Video Tutorial
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups (150 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (150 grams) raisins
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the old-fashioned rolled oats and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 1 to 2 minutes or until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients and continue mixing on low speed until just combined, then mix in the raisins.
- Cover the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Once the dough is chilled, remove it from the refrigerator. Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheets. Roll the cookie dough into balls and very gently press down with your hand to flatten each ball of cookie dough slightly. Make sure to leave a little room between each ball of cookie dough as they will spread a little while they bake.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown and the tops are set. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack cool completely.
Notes
This is such an excellent cookie! I even added cranberries and pecans to this recipe and they turned out delicious.
Glad you liked the cookies, Gabrielle!
First time I made them I added 2 more minutes to the bake time because I made them bigger (1/8 cup) because we’re a big cookie kind of family. Didn’t come out as chewy but tastes great and easy to make! Made this recipe again with exact measurements (used a 2 tbsp scoop this time), and came out perfect! My new go-to cookie recipe! Works well with chocolate chips too! Would the texture change if I used coconut flakes in place of raisins? Or if I add protein powder so I can make more of these instead of my usual protein shakes?
I’m glad you liked the cookies, Alecs! It would be fine to use coconut flakes in these cookies. The protein powder would change the texture of the cookies, so I wouldn’t suggest using that.
I followed your recipe exactly as is and they turned out fabulous. These were the best cookies! I can’t wait to try this recipe with chocolate chips! Thanks for posting
So glad you liked the cookies, Michele! The chocolate chip version is just as delicious too!
Holy guacamole, these are so good, I’ve eaten almost all the cookies myself in the last hour. Followed the recipe exactly but kept them in the oven a bit longer (all ovens are different) and they turned out absolutely amazing. I love that there is not too much sugar and enough raisins to really make these worthwhile. THANK YOU FOR SHARING this recipe…. going back to the kitchen for more…
Thank you, Rita! I’m glad you liked the cookies!
I had the same experience as others, my cookies did not rise or spread at all. They stayed in ball form and crumbled when lifted. I measured my ingredients with a scale and did in fact spoon and level my flour onto the scale. I’m sorry but I do not recommend this recipe 🙁
Sorry to hear that, Aimee. I’ve made these cookies dozens of times and never had this issue. Did you make sure to use a large egg as well?
Yes. I followed all instructions, used the large egg. Weighed and measured on a digital and calibrated scale. I have a separate thermometer inside the oven to verify oven temp. Still had the poor results.
I’m really not sure why they wouldn’t spread if that’s the case, Aimee. If you did make them again you can try skipping the dough chilling and slightly flatten them before you bake them to help the cookies spread.
Amazing recipe , my husband is diabetic so used “ Splenda sugar Blend” for brown and white sugar and they came out delicious!
So glad to hear that the Splenda sugar blends worked great in these cookies, Carrie!
Made the oatmeal cookies and was disappointed. I thought they would flatten when cooking and mine stayed in a ball so I had to flatten them and they also needed more cinnamon taste.
Hi, Steph. I’ve had a few people mention that they had issues with the cookies not spreading and it was due to how they measured their flour. Did you spoon & level your flour or did you scoop it from the container?
I spooned and leveled the flour .next time maybe I won’t chill it and slightly flatten it.
I made mine a bit island drunken. I soaked the raisins in rum for a week, used cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice, used a couple table spoons of molasses instead of granulated sugar and added almond extract as well as about 1/2 cup of coconut flakes. I could taste rum in just about every bite.
That sounds fantastic, Chantia!
Made these this morning and YUMMY. Nezt time ill try chocolate covered raisins.
I need to try these out with chocolate covered raisins soon, I’d love to hear if you do!
Your recipe for Soft Oatmeal Raisin cookies is the best I have ever baked. Thank you for making it available. The only problem is that mine don’t look anything like yours. Mine spread out too much. They are still soft and chewy but flat. I boiled the raisins and drained them before adding to recipe. What am I doing wrong?
So happy you liked the cookies Yolanda! When you boiled the raisins and drained them, did you add it directly to the cookie dough? And did you chill the cookie dough? I’m wondering if the warm raisins melted/softened the butter too much and that’s why they spread.
I did chill the dough after I added the raisins. Is 4, 295 considered hgher altitude in Arizona, maybe baking soda was not very new, I used lower temp. since I thought baking with propane gets oven hotter.
Yes, if you’re at 4,295 you do need to adjust the recipe for high altitude. You can test your baking soda by adding a little to a bowl with something acidic in it (lemon juice, vinegar, etc.) and it will bubble if it’s still fresh. I’ve given readers this guide to adjust recipes for high altitude and they’ve found it helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html.
It’s great recipe. Tried and so successful with a lot of compliments from friends. Thank you so much for the sharing ?
Thank you, Rebecca! I’m glad to hear that everyone enjoyed the cookies.
These were great! Made some
Modifications… only 1/2 cup coco sugar. Used GF flour and HF oats. Added 1/8 t allspice and added currants! Used salted butter instead of adding salt and using unsalted butter! Perfect all around 🙂 this style is good if you like less sweet cookies 🙂
Thanks for sharing! Glad you enjoyed the cookies 🙂
I love these cookies, made them a few times.
Could I scoop the cookie dough before refrigerating it? Granted I have enough space in the fridge. I feel it might be a little easier to scoop.
Yes, that’s fine! You can cut the dough chilling down to about 15 minutes.
Those turned out great! My 4.5 reminded me about chocolate chips we have got (i promised to use them) so i added a little to this recipe and made cookies slightly smaller. They are great! A bit sweet for me so next time will add less sugar but still great thx!
You can’t go wrong by adding chocolate chips to these cookies, Vika. I’m glad you liked them! You can try reducing the sugar by 2-3 tablespoons next time and see if that helps with the sweetness.
Amazing recipe, great cookies!! Thank you!
So happy you liked the cookies, Maria!
Are these gluten free cookies or regular ones with glutenouse wheat flour? If it’s gf does the all purpose flour contain xanthan gum or is it free from gums?
Hi, Kate. These are not gluten-free cookies, you would need to adjust the recipe to make then gluten-free.
Hi! I’m twelve but oatmeal cookies are my favorite! These cookies look like I could do them (and have my parents help with the oven)! Thank you so much! I will let you know how they go! ?
Hope you and your parents enjoy the cookies, Anya!
Made these Vegan for my daughter who has dietary problems when eating both eggs and butter. I used 1/3 cup of applesauce for each egg and vegan, (Earth Balance brand), butter. Made a double batch, and it was better to keep the cookies on the small to medium side. Took all 12 minutes to cook. I love oatmeal cookies, and these were extremely delicious and chewy. Still chewy the next day. I made them exactly as explained except for the eggs and butter.
So glad to hear the cookies turned out great, John! Thank you for sharing the substitutions too, that will be helpful for others who may need to do the same.
This was my first time making the recipe. I was just reading online the technique of toasting the oatmeal first (350 degrees spread out on a baking sheet) and decided to do this. I just had two cookies and they are “dynamite!” Thanks so much for the recipe!
I haven’t tried that before, but I’m intrigued! Glad you liked the cookies too!
Hi Danielle- The toasted oats came from an Alton Brown recipe. The texture reminded me of an oatmeal cookie I had lately at La Madeleine (but there’s had a whopping 540 calories). I really appreciated your recipe that had lesser sugars than usual and only one stick of butter.
I’ll definitely have to try that out, Amy! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Made today, they are FABULOUS!! Didn’t see the part about flattening the balls, but they turned out just the way we like them thick and chewy. The only change I made intentionally was I baked (350 degrees F) the oats for 15-20 minutes on a cookie sheet with parchment, it seems to bring out the flavor and make the oats crunchier. Just let the oats cool a bit before adding to batter.
Toasting the oats sounds fantastic, Pam! So glad you liked the cookies!
This is the best recipe !!! I’ve made these cookies 3 times since finding the recipe last week, everyone loves them!! I subbed the raisins for craisins cause they have a more vibrant flavor. You can also add chocolate chips and chunks to replicate chick fil a cookies. I doubled the recipe and used and oval shaped, slightly large, scoop to portion the cookies and it was the best decision! It made the already gooey cookies bigger and gooey-er and this recipe must have truly come from heaven cause they are the besttt!
So glad you liked the cookies, Aniyah!
I sometimes for a change add blueberry infused dried cranberries and white chocolate to mine, very tasty ?
That sounds fantastic, Monica!
The only issue with these cookies is that they’re addicting;). I am happy that the recipe uses less sugar. I only had half the brien sugar left in my pantry so I also used coconut sugar. They taste great! My 4yo daughter is enjoying them too!
So glad you and your daughter enjoyed the cookies, Julie!
Thanks, Danielle! These cookies were great. I didn’t use a measured scoop, just a serving spoon. I ended up with 15 large, thick delicious cookies. I love oatmeal as an ingredient, but I have a strong dislike for the food. I’m a shrimp and grits kinda guy.
I’m thinking the ingredients in these cookies are exactly what my wife puts in her oatmeal and feeds the kids, except the milk. So basically, you gave me a very portable high fiber heart-healthy breakfast idea. Now to sell the wife on it. Thanks again!
So glad you liked the oatmeal cookies, Jason! They’re a favorite of ours!
WOW! These cookies are amazing. Since my husband isnt a fan of raisins, I used freeze-dried wild Maine blueberries (the real tiny ones) instead and now he’s asking me to make these more often. These cookies are so soft and are really substantial. I eat one and I’m good to go! It’s now in my monthly cookie rotation so I’ll be making these once a month. Thank you for this great recipe.
The freeze-dried blueberries sound fantastic, Victoria! So glad you and your husband loved the cookies 🙂
Hi i made this recipe it’s so delicious but I have a question all my cookies were all flat instead if thicker what did I do wrong?
Hi, Karmen! It sounds like your butter may have been too warm when you put the cookies in the oven. Did you refrigerate the cookie dough?
My hubby loves oatmeal raisin. I baked a double batch so he could take some into work. My daughter &
I don’t like raisins. Once I baked them of course had to
taste them! Well let’s just say my daughter & I
both loved them. The 3 of us ate a double batch and
I had to make more for my husbands work.
Thanks for a wonderful tasty recipe. ❤️❤️
So happy to hear that, Tracey! I’m not a huge fan of raisins by themselves either, but I do love them in these cookies 🙂
these are the best oatmeal raisin cooklis i have ever made will make them often tthank you so much
So glad you loved the cookies, Ricarda!
I’ve been waiting for my wife to make me some oatmeal cookies for a while,humm, we’ll I decided to do it myself, I had no clue until I found your recipe, I added all the ingredients in at one time not knowing to scroll down and seeing that I missed the part of separating the different ingredients, it was to late by then, long story short I followed the rest of the directions and they turned out great, I have to say better than my wife’s ever have..shuuu
Thanks
Glad you liked the cookies, Mike!